Parmigiano Crisps

When my son was young, and even as a young adult, his favorite snack foods were Cheetos and cheesy crackers. I must admit that I consumed my share of these snacks along with him. Then one day, I started having food allergy symptoms, the cause of which was never determined. Thinking it was probably food additives, I cut out almost all prepackaged foods from my diet. For someone addicted to salty snacks, this was not easy. So, I am constantly looking for recipes to fill this gaping hole in my daily food intake. This recipe fits the bill perfectly. It is light, delicious, and not filled with things whose name you can't pronounce, and if you knew what they were, you would never put them into your body. Since the rich flavor of these crackers depends on the cheese, it is best if you use a good parmigiano reggiano. However, a good grana padano might be an okay substitute and will cost less.

While these are great snacks for kids or adults any time of day, they are also elegant enough for your antipasto platter. They are very good paired with a good, Italian white wine such as Verdicchio or Gavi. Or try them as an accompaniment to your Prosecco. This recipe makes approximately 4 1/2 dozen crackers.

Food processor with the plastic blade.Rolling pin2 baking sheetspizza cutter (or a knife if not available)

Making the Parmigiano Crisps

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degreesStep 2: Line two baking sheets with parchment paperStep 3: Measure out the flour, baking powder, salt, and 3/4 cups of the parmigiano reggiano and mix in the food processor until blended.Step 4: Add cold butter which has been cut into 1/2 inch pieces along with the olive oil and pulse until the mixture looks like a fine corn meal.Step 5: Add the milk and again pulse. Now you should have a very crumbly dough. It will not be wet enough to form into a ball in the food processor, but once you put it out onto a floured surface, you should be able to work it with your hands into a ball. (While adding more liquid may make the dough easier to work with, it will also make the finished product less light and flaky.)Step 6: Work the dough into a ball and cut the ball in half to form two pieces of dough.Step 7: Roll out the first half of the dough into a rectangle shape. Using the pizza cutter, cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares, and transfer each square to the prepared backing sheet.Step 8: With a pastry brush, brush the tops of each cracker with a little of the egg yolk. Then, top each cracker with a little bit of the remaining cheese.Step 9: Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for approximately 12-14 minutes. The crackers should be a little brown on top to ensure crispness.Step 10: Repeat Steps 7 thru 9 with the second half of the dough.Enjoy!!!